Being 2 is the old 5? OMG!

So spin off of my mini rant the other day about the playgroup.............I guess now parents have now decided being 2 is the new 5. Seriously.

At 2 apparently children are now suppose to count up to 30. In addition to counting many can now recognize the numbers by sight. The same goes for the ABC's, as well as colors and shapes. They should also know their complete name.

So spin off of my mini rant the other day about the playgroup.............I guess now parents have now decided being 2 is the new 5. Seriously.

At 2 apparently children are now suppose to count up to 30. In addition to counting many can now recognize the numbers by sight. The same goes for the ABC's, as well as colors and shapes. They should also know their complete name.

I don't have any kids yet, so I have ZERO experience in this arena, but that seems like a lot to expect from a 2 year old. Can 2 year olds express themselves well enough to demonstrate those skills? (I'm being serious, because I have no clue about toddlers)

I don't have any kids yet, so I have ZERO experience in this arena, but that seems like a lot to expect from a 2 year old. Can 2 year olds express themselves well enough to demonstrate those skills? (I'm being serious, because I have no clue about toddlers)

Kids should be able to be kids!!! I hear mothers talking pre pre k.. At the age of 3 and some of those schools teach foreign languages at that age. Geez... Let children be children. There is enough school in their future... Just my opinion.

Kids should be able to be kids!!! I hear mothers talking pre pre k.. At the age of 3 and some of those schools teach foreign languages at that age. Geez... Let children be children. There is enough school in their future... Just my opinion.

I should purchase those books for my girlfriend. I just spoke to her on the phone (she is in PA). Her daughter just turned two in June. She told me her daughter already knows her entire name (first, middle, and last), knows all of her letters by sight as well as numbers. She also knows all of her colors and shapes. She said she counts up to 30. She then told me she was going to start working on handwriting.

Sometimes I truly doubt the validity of what people say these days. Truly.

I should purchase those books for my girlfriend. I just spoke to her on the phone (she is in PA). Her daughter just turned two in June. She told me her daughter already knows her entire name (first, middle, and last), knows all of her letters by sight as well as numbers. She also knows all of her colors and shapes. She said she counts up to 30. She then told me she was going to start working on handwriting.

Sometimes I truly doubt the validity of what people say these days. Truly.

Well according to all the vast amount of literature on child development..................no. In fact I know from my profession and education that children do not even develop a sense of understanding phonics or the purpose until age 4 if not 5. Of course there are always exception to the rules.

Well according to all the vast amount of literature on child development..................no. In fact I know from my profession and education that children do not even develop a sense of understanding phonics or the purpose until age 4 if not 5. Of course there are always exception to the rules.

Joel starts a Pre-K3 next year BUT it starts in September (2011) and in December he will be 4 so I figured that would be appropriate. I will also say I work fulltime so when I am in work he would be in daycare so why not something more appropriate. However, it is only half of the day the rest of the day is fun and socialization.

However I would never expect my two and half year old to know all their letters and numbers. Let alone all their colors or shapes. Hell in my State that is part of the Kindergarten curriculum.

Joel starts a Pre-K3 next year BUT it starts in September (2011) and in December he will be 4 so I figured that would be appropriate. I will also say I work fulltime so when I am in work he would be in daycare so why not something more appropriate. However, it is only half of the day the rest of the day is fun and socialization.

However I would never expect my two and half year old to know all their letters and numbers. Let alone all their colors or shapes. Hell in my State that is part of the Kindergarten curriculum.

I reacted the same way when DS#1 went into kindergarden. Stupid me thought my child was supposed to learn how to read and write there, but he was behind for half of the year because he was expected to have known how to do that before kindergarden. At least I'm prepared for when DS#2 goes into school, of course by that time they'll probably expect him to teach himself instead of using a teacher.

I reacted the same way when DS#1 went into kindergarden. Stupid me thought my child was supposed to learn how to read and write there, but he was behind for half of the year because he was expected to have known how to do that before kindergarden. At least I'm prepared for when DS#2 goes into school, of course by that time they'll probably expect him to teach himself instead of using a teacher.

Hmm. My LO just turned 2 last week. She can say up, mum, dad, buh-buh (which fills in for bottle, bible, bye bye and potty) and make about 5 animal noises. I am not concerned.

If it were up to me, pre-k wouldn't even exist. I started school at 5 (as did most kids in my area who grew up in the 80s) and had a very positive school experience all the way through university. Never felt like I was behind and was actually ahead sometimes. I think that while the child rat race is partly to blame, they also introduce schooling earlier to provide free daycare to working parents. Lame.

Hmm. My LO just turned 2 last week. She can say up, mum, dad, buh-buh (which fills in for bottle, bible, bye bye and potty) and make about 5 animal noises. I am not concerned.

If it were up to me, pre-k wouldn't even exist. I started school at 5 (as did most kids in my area who grew up in the 80s) and had a very positive school experience all the way through university. Never felt like I was behind and was actually ahead sometimes. I think that while the child rat race is partly to blame, they also introduce schooling earlier to provide free daycare to working parents. Lame.

I guess my kid will be behind the curve. Â We were playing a game yesterday, I said, What color are your shoes? She would tell me, WHITE. Â Well what color is the wall (its white) and she would say GREEN. Â Silly girl. Â She knows the number 2 by site Â and can maybe count to 10 on a good day. Â She has selective memory, Â She knows the shirt she wants to wear is red, or the candy is green, but if you ask her, she will respond about 50/50.

I'm not sweating it. Â I'll let her be a kid awhile longer.

I guess my kid will be behind the curve. Â We were playing a game yesterday, I said, What color are your shoes? She would tell me, WHITE. Â Well what color is the wall (its white) and she would say GREEN. Â Silly girl. Â She knows the number 2 by site Â and can maybe count to 10 on a good day. Â She has selective memory, Â She knows the shirt she wants to wear is red, or the candy is green, but if you ask her, she will respond about 50/50.

I see nothing wrong with encouraging children to learn these things but I think the expectation is wrong. My son knew his alphabet, shapes, colours, and could count to 10 by 2 years old. But he was a very bright kid and loved to learn through play. What I don't free with is having a list and pressuring a child to learn these things so early. With my daughter she can count to 13, knows her alphabet and all her shapes but still has problems recognizig colours and she is about to turn 2. I would never put pressure on her to learn those things. It just doesn't seem right.

I see nothing wrong with encouraging children to learn these things but I think the expectation is wrong. My son knew his alphabet, shapes, colours, and could count to 10 by 2 years old. But he was a very bright kid and loved to learn through play. What I don't free with is having a list and pressuring a child to learn these things so early. With my daughter she can count to 13, knows her alphabet and all her shapes but still has problems recognizig colours and she is about to turn 2. I would never put pressure on her to learn those things. It just doesn't seem right.

This is the "My Baby Can Read" generation giving these standards? I think that we are expecting way too much out of our children and we are pushing them to be little adults rather than children. Infact I blogged about it after someone telling me I needed it for Aaleahya and it wasn't "too late" for Nadezdha to get some use out of it.

I think I remember the older girls in Kindergarten needing to count to 100 before passing to 1st grade and recognizing their ABC's. For us, Nadezdha loves her letters. She insisted on getting them and once a day (if she asks) we do Hooked on Phonics with her, which is really just using flash cards for her to recognize her letters and what familiar things in her life she can associate with them. Such as N is for Nadezdha, M is for Mommy, D is for Daddy, etc.

This is the "My Baby Can Read" generation giving these standards? I think that we are expecting way too much out of our children and we are pushing them to be little adults rather than children. Infact I blogged about it after someone telling me I needed it for Aaleahya and it wasn't "too late" for Nadezdha to get some use out of it.

I think I remember the older girls in Kindergarten needing to count to 100 before passing to 1st grade and recognizing their ABC's. For us, Nadezdha loves her letters. She insisted on getting them and once a day (if she asks) we do Hooked on Phonics with her, which is really just using flash cards for her to recognize her letters and what familiar things in her life she can associate with them. Such as N is for Nadezdha, M is for Mommy, D is for Daddy, etc.

I think you have hit on a key point is how the learning is being done. If learning is incorporated naturally into the day or part of a learning activity - what is wrong with a toddler learning to count, recite their letters, know their shapes or all their colours. We live on the second floor of a duplex and use the stairs as a learning activity every time we go up or down them. Marisol can count to at least 16 (16 stairs you see) in both French and Spanish completely on her own with no prompting. She loves to decipher letters and will even spell out the letters of the grafiti on the street at times. This started with simple activity of putting the letters up on the side of the tub during bath time. I try and incorporate descriptive words for colours and shapes in the course of our natural conversation and then ask her questions. At 20 months she loves to solve "I wonder what colour is ... or I wonder what shape the table is ..." type of riddles. Nothing is forced - heck I work 7 days a week so I certainly am not spending every minute with her trying to shove knowledge in. Rather we incorporate it all as part of the day and use simple activities to convey a lesson. She amaxes me every day with what she is capable of learning, absorbing and remembering - in three different languages too.

I think you have hit on a key point is how the learning is being done. If learning is incorporated naturally into the day or part of a learning activity - what is wrong with a toddler learning to count, recite their letters, know their shapes or all their colours. We live on the second floor of a duplex and use the stairs as a learning activity every time we go up or down them. Marisol can count to at least 16 (16 stairs you see) in both French and Spanish completely on her own with no prompting. She loves to decipher letters and will even spell out the letters of the grafiti on the street at times. This started with simple activity of putting the letters up on the side of the tub during bath time. I try and incorporate descriptive words for colours and shapes in the course of our natural conversation and then ask her questions. At 20 months she loves to solve "I wonder what colour is ... or I wonder what shape the table is ..." type of riddles. Nothing is forced - heck I work 7 days a week so I certainly am not spending every minute with her trying to shove knowledge in. Rather we incorporate it all as part of the day and use simple activities to convey a lesson. She amaxes me every day with what she is capable of learning, absorbing and remembering - in three different languages too.

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